Billy Joel part I
by Diabolical Pink Bunny
Summary: Ronon is in love with Teyla, but she's still with Kanaan and Ronon has no idea what he should do now. But while SGA-1 is on a regular exploratory mission on a planet, they encounter a very peculiar pianist with a fantastic tale of a new enemy. Meanwhile, back on Atlantis, Radek just might have found the key to vanquishing the Wraith.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own any of the rights to Stargate: Atlantis or Stargate: SG-1 or any of the films/series/songs mentioned in the story._

_Author's note: First of, this is the 8__th__ episode/story of my season 6 of Atlantis, but the story begins in "I am Atlantis.' Then, in sequence: 'Spite and Malice,' 'The Last Petal I,' 'The Last Petal II,' 'Avenues,' 'Pavlov,' 'There's a Dinosaur in my Tent,' 'Run to the Water' and 'Mrs Beckett.'_

_Also: Don't think I don't appreciate all the reviews. I told Hubby that though fanfiction might be a hobby like any other, this is one that's much better for my ego than, say, stamp collecting! Today I'd like to especially thank one of the Guests. I can't thank you in person, as there's no link back to an account of yours, but thank you none the less!_

**Chapter 1**

"I'm just saying, it's been a while," Rodney said as they walked down the wide tarred road leading from the stargate towards – what they hoped – was civilisation. So far this world looked more promising than most they had visited. No other world had ever sported a tarred road and Ronon had only recognised it from his visits to earth. And of course any world that could develop to this point in the galaxy was something worth looking into. The only peculiarity was that the planet did not appear on the list of addresses Atlantis had of active stargates in the galaxy.

That was also exactly the reason why they were now walking down this path with the sun setting to their right. One of the programs that continually ran in the background – according to Rodney – was one checking for any addresses that were not on the system. Ronon wasn't exactly sure how it worked, but obviously it did and it had found this planet. The theory was that – seeing as Atlantis knew all the planets the Wraith knew about – this might be a planet unfamiliar to the Wraith and thus one not frequently culled. Hence their – or at least Rodney's – excitement about finding a tarred road.

Not that the scientist could just be happy about something. Ever since they had stepped onto the planet, he had been complaining about finding a paved road, but not finding a taxi service to go along with it. Well, it did feel kind of funny to be walking along the side of the road like hitch-hikers from earth, but as Teyla had rightfully pointed out: she would rather be walking freely along a road than be at the mercy of another inside a vehicle. That had basically ended that argument, which was why Rodney had moved onto the next subject.

"That does not mean it's a bad thing," John replied. Ronon had to admit, though, he was listening only with half an ear. Instead his mind was on Teyla. The entire thing with him and her and Kanaan had ground to a halt and none of them really knew where they needed to go from here.

"No, it's not a bad thing, but don't you think it's kind of strange that we..." Rodney continued, but John interrupted him.

"Not that I'm superstitious or anything, but let's not tempt fate," he told his friend. Beside Rodney Teyla smiled.

"Colonel, I never would have thought you were superstitious," she grinned and John gave her a mock-scowl.

"It's just that every time Rodney points out how things could get worse, they tend to get worse," their leader and friend replied. "If I were to believe in fate, I'd think fate didn't like Rodney," he added.

"Look, you can joke all you want to; the point is: we haven't seen a Wraith in quite a long time," Rodney told them. John scowled, Ronon laughed and Teyla lifted her eyebrows.

"I really hope Colonel Sheppard is wrong about fate hating you," she seriously informed the scientist, but Ronon could see the laughter in her eyes. Yet Ronon had to admit it had indeed been a while since the last time they had seen any Wraith activity. Usually hardly a month passed without one of the SGA teams at least hearing about the Wraith, but the life-sucking aliens have been quiet since their failed attack on earth. Okay, so the Wraith had lost quite a bit of their resources in the process, but surely the best way for them to recover their losses would be to cull as many planets as possible. Yet wherever the SGA teams went, everything was quiet of Wraith activity.

The road they were following finally reached a small town. The town reminded Ronon of one of those small towns in America he had seen in a movie once: those small towns where everyone ate at the same diner, knew everyone else and they wore cowboy boots and said 'hee-hah' a lot. It even had a tumbleweed that rolled by just as they stood staring at the place.

"This is so out of my worst nightmare," Rodney remarked. "And seriously, how did two completely different cultures end up with this?" he asked as he spread his arms to take in the entire town.

"I find the town rather charming," Teyla dryly remarked.

"So did that last town we found Lucius Lavin in," Rodney reminded them.

"I hate that guy," John needlessly added. The couple of times they had met Lucius, he had tried to manipulate them and had in fact been manipulating the small towns he had been residing in. None of them felt any fondness for the pudgy man. The last time they had seen him, though, he had just lost his 'super powers.' Ronon hadn't really thought about it till now.

"Surely not every small town we come across would be the home of..." Teyla began, but Rodney suddenly held his right hand up; silencing her.

"Shut up," the scientist snapped. If it had been any other person, any one of the team would have been insulted, but years of working with McKay had taught them to tolerate his abruptness. Besides, he usually only did something like this when he felt there was something important he needed to know. "Does anyone else hear that?" he asked with a slightly bewildered look on his face.

Silence descended upon the small group. At first Ronon didn't hear anything but the wind and the sound of people talking. On one of the sidewalks a couple walked by, speaking softly and looking intently into each other's eyes. For a moment the wind shifted, though, and the strains of a song being played on a musical instrument was blown to them. The song seemed oddly familiar to Ronon, but it was too brief for him to identify. Rodney and John were staring at each other with slightly bewildered expressions, though. Obviously they had identified the song even from the brief snatch they had heard.

"Is that...?" John began.

"No, surely it can't be..." Rodney spoke almost at the same time, but that was as far as either came before falling silent.

Finally John pulled a face of disbelief. "Nah, it just sounded like it," he told Rodney. Just then the wind shifted once more and another few strains of the same song were carried to them. Both Rodney and John's expressions turned incredulous. "No way," John said moments before both he and Rodney took off down the street at a run.

With a shared expression of confusion Ronon and Teyla ran after them. As they ran the music became louder and finally Ronon was able to identify the song – just as John and Rodney ran into a building. As they opened the door, the sound surged for a moment.

_...they're sharing a drink they call 'loneliness'_

_But it's better than drinking alone..._

Ronon did not know that many songs from earth, but he had once heard Rodney play this song on the piano someone had brought with them. It was a tune one did not easily forget, but how was it someone was playing it here, in the Pegasus Galaxy?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Elizabeth?" the soft, accented voice of Radek Zelenka interrupted her as she was sitting at the large group of tables SGA-1, Elizabeth and a number of others usually occupied. Radek was one of the many that sat at the table and she smiled at him as he sat down across from her; glad of the distraction of his company. She had spent the entire morning resolving an issue between one of the marines and Keras. Her instincts told her it was a situation similar to the one between Teyla and Bates in their first year on Atlantis, but as before she did not have the luxury to take sides. What did bother her about the whole affair – and the thing she had been brooding about before Radek had interrupted her – was that the marine not only questioned Keras' loyalty, but also his ability as one of the leaders of Lantea. And though it seemed Keras wasn't overly concerned with the marine's allegations and attitude, it worried Elizabeth. She had been the one to ask Keras to serve as her liaison between her and the artisans in the city and on the mainland. This made him responsible for the wellbeing of about a quarter of the people on Lantea and he was good at it. He was perhaps not perfect and still had a lot to learn, but already he was an important part of the unofficial government of the planet. Besides, he was _her_ choice and if the marine questioned Keras, he questioned her. To Elizabeth it wasn't about the glory or power of being the leader, but she was concerned that the entire system might unravel. The honeymoon period of their new world was running out and she knew now was the time to ensure everyone stuck together. Within a few years it would be better, when everyone had completely settled in and found their place. But until then it was important to keep everyone focussed and together.

"Radek," she smiled at her friend; her mind distracted from her brooding thoughts. Instead she focussed on the scientist across from her. She had thought he had come to join her for lunch, but he only had a cup of tea and a tablet with him. Also: he looked excited. "How's Anne?" she asked over the rim of her cup as she regarded him. For years the two of them had worked together in an effort to keep the city running, especially as Rodney was often off-world. Yet in all that time it seemed the two of them had never known much about each other. They had been colleagues, but nothing more. That had radically changed a few months ago when Atlantis had been caught in the black hole. In a way that timeline had never happened, and yet it had changed so many things. The memories were faded, but after that encounter Elizabeth and Radek had somehow found they were drawn towards one another. The friendship they had shared in another lifetime seemed to have lasted into this lifetime as well. They were no longer just co-workers, but also friends that shared a lifetime of searching for the truth. Besides, it really was true that of all the people in Atlantis, they somehow seemed to spend the most time together. Elizabeth loved her other friends: mostly Sitnalta, Teyla, Jennifer, Laura and Anne, but somehow it was Radek she felt closest to. Besides, though Rodney was officially the head scientist, it was Radek that had to report to her the most often.

At the mention of his wife Radek seemed to melt. In the beginning Elizabeth had thought he looked peculiar with his wild hair and absent-minded look, but she had learned to look at him through new eyes. He was slightly shorter than her, but not as scrawny as she had first supposed. She suspected Anne had something to do with that; and truth be told, she was happy about it. Most of the non-military personnel had started to take some combat lessons from the female marines that are grounded – as they refer to it – and it was good for everyone concerned. Even she had put in a few lessons with Teyla and Anne respectively.

"Anne is slightly cranky, thank you," he truthfully admitted. He completely adores his kick-ass sexy wife, but this pregnancy thing was getting on all their nerves. "Finding out she's carrying twins wasn't easy for her, but on the other hand; she's already picked out names for the girls," he added. As the women were entering their fourth month the doctors were able to start determining the children's sex. Anne had found out only days ago she was carrying twin daughters.

Elizabeth smiled. "She's a very strong-willed woman," she told Radek, who returned her smile.

"Tell me about it," he grinned. But their light mood lasted only another moment. Then he quickly tapped his tablet to bring up some information and, turning it around, handed the device to her. Aware that much of the data Radek easily read was gibberish to her, she doubted whether she would understand anything on the tablet. She pulled it closer as she put down her cup and scanned the small screen. Strangely enough, she actually knew what she was looking at: well, at least up to a point. It was the flight-path of a starship through a part of space, although its flight-path looked erratic.

She looked at her friend and raised an eyebrow in question. With barely contained excitement making him seem to vibrate, Radek leaned over and touched the screen. Instantly she image shifted and now she could see the path the starship had taken was even more erratic than she had thought, yet there seemed to be a pattern behind the erratic flight-path.

"This is the flight-path of the _Aurora_," Radek proudly told her. Elizabeth clearly remembered the ship he was referring to, but for a moment she could not fathom why he seemed so excited. She looked back at the screen almost as if the answer lay there, but she could not see what it was that Radek wanted to show her. He didn't wait for her to ask him, though. "When Colonel Sheppard had been in their virtual world," he began explaining; both hands raised level with his head and fingers spread as he gestured, "he learned the ship was carrying information vital to the war."

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, but they destroyed the ship before John could learn what the information was," she recalled.

"Yes!" Radek snapped as he gestured in her direction. "Exactly! But I've been trying to determine where the ship had been coming from with the secret," he triumphantly told her. She still didn't get it, though.

"But I thought the ship had been drifting in space a long time," she tried to understand. Sometimes she envied Samantha Carter her scientific knowledge: though she had been the leader of Atlantis for only a year, the job had seemed so much easier for her than Elizabeth, seeing as she usually instantly understood what Rodney, Radek and Sitnalta had been talking about.

Now Radek pointed at the screen once more; seemingly unconcerned and not in the least impatient with her lack of knowledge. "Yes, but a ship drifting in space has to follow certain rules," he told her. Now he seemed to indicate a large ball with his hands as he got into his explanation. "See, there are only so many factors working in on anything in space that can make it change its course or speed."

"Like the gravitational pull of suns or planets," Elizabeth finally understood. Again he excitedly pointed at her.

"Exactly!" he repeated. "And working back from the speed of the _Aurora_ when we found her, I can extrapolate the path she should have taken to get to that point," he happily told her.

Though she now understood – in broad terms – what Radek was telling her, she still could not figure out why this news was so..._newsworthy_. She told him as much and again he tapped the screen. This time a planet appeared on the screen with its designation.

"You recognize the address?" he asked her. It took her a moment to work through the list she carried in her head, but then suddenly she knew what she was looking at and her head snapped up.

"It's the planet where we found the first Wraith ship, the one with the Iratus bug," she identified it.

"Yes!" One of the good things about Radek explaining things to her was that he became so excited every time she got something right. "Whatever the secret was, it has to do with that planet," he happily informed her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

John and Rodney entered the gloomy bar just as the singer launched into the chorus of Billy Joel's _Piano Man_:

_Sing us a song; you're the piano man_

_Sing us a song tonight_

The bar – for it was obviously one – was done in wood and the electrical lights cast a dimmed yellow light that only seemed to enhance the smoky quality of the room. A long wooden counter filled one end of the room and a number of men sat nursing a drink. Small wooden tables filled the rest of the floor space with only a few extra customers seated at them. Right at the back of the room was an area that was slightly raised and on this was something that could only be called a piano with the pianist seated with his face in profile.

_Well, we're all in the mood for a melody_

_And you've got us feeling alright_

The pianist was a slightly pudgy man with longish hair that must have once been dark blonde, but was turning gray. His fingers flew over the keys and his head was thrown back as he happily sung a song he should not have known. A large glass of beer stood half-finished on top of the piano.

Behind John and Rodney the doors of the bar opened and shut as Ronon and Teyla joined them.

"Is that...?" Teyla began, but she was unable to finish the thought – the same one that had occurred to John. Though older and scruffier, the pianist seemed very familiar.

"Nah, he just looks that way," John tried to deny the truth settling over their group.

"Then how do you explain him singing _Piano Man_ at the top of his lungs?" Rodney irritably snapped back.

"McKay does have a point," Ronon pointed out. It was not an easy thought.

They were still just standing there, debating the evidence of their eyes, when the song ended and the pianist instantly went over into another familiar song. In fact, he started right with the familiar _Modern Talking_ chorus:

_Atlantis is calling, S.O.S. for love_

_Atlantis is calling from the stars above_

_Atlantis is calling, S.O.S. for love_

_Atlantis is calling, it's to hot to stop!_

"Still think it's just a coincidence?" John snapped as the four of them stalked over towards the pianist. At the last note of the small chorus he spun around on his stool and smiled at the small group of Atlanteans. On top of the piano stood a large draft of beer – half drunk.

"You're late," the pianist informed them before promptly falling off his stool. Apparently he had spun too far around and it had made him dizzy. Well, that and the fact that John could smell the alcohol on his breath even from where he was standing.

"I don't drink that much," Rodney – their Rodney – whined as they stood regarding the other Rodney McKay. Or at least, that's what it seemed like. John just knew they weren't going to like the story behind what was happening here.

With the pragmatism he was known for, Ronon leaned over and lifted the other Rodney – the drunk Rodney – from the ground and replaced him on the stool. The drunk man instantly stood up on shaky legs and embraced the tall man. Then her staggered over towards Teyla, who patted his back but looked over his shoulder at the rest of her team with wide eyes. When the drunk man pulled back, she grabbed his sleeve.

"Are you...all right?" she asked him, but then turned her head to the side at his breath. "Are you drunk?" she asked a second question.

"I've missed you guys," the other Rodney happily told her. Then his eyes started to water as he regarded John. "And you, you're alive!" he sobbed. "You're all alive!"

Finally he turned to regard himself and John felt Rodney – their Rodney – stiffen beside him. "Look at you, all young and sexy once more," he told himself. Well, kind of himself. John had been comparing the two Rodneys and it was apparent that the one they had found here on the planet was much older than he ought to be. Or, at least, much older than all of them were right now. Rodney was just a year or so younger than John, but this drunk was perhaps twenty years older. He wore his hair long and pulled back in a pony-tail, even though it started only halfway down his scalp. John grinned: a few months back he and Rodney had had a discussion about hair-loss and John had told Rodney he would probably lose most of his hair as he aged. Rodney had been outraged, but now they had proof!

It was also obvious, John realised, that this Rodney habitually drank too much.

"Well, okay, you're all wondering what's going on here, I bet," the older Rodney told them. Reaching over carefully, he grabbed his mug of alcohol and wobbled over towards one of the round little tables. SGA-1 exchanged quick glances, but in the end John started towards the table and sat down on one of the stool; putting his weapon on the table and within easy reach. Rodney and Teyla followed his example, but Ronon remained standing and with his front turned towards the entrance in silent vigilance.

"'Now _Kyle_ at the bar is a friend of mine,'" the drunk Rodney sang as he mangled the old Billy Joel song slightly. He held his mug up in the air and the barman nodded. Conspiratorially he leaned towards John and SGA-1. "He really gets me my drinks for free," he told them before bursting out in laughter.

"I'm sorry, but this is just absurd," their Rodney exclaimed. "I have the best mind in the galaxy," he added. "I would never try and rot it with alcohol like this," he told them. Other Rodney leaned closer once more.

"You would if you're stuck on this planet for nearly twenty years!" he whispered; confirming John's estimation that somehow this Rodney had had twenty years to age. Though there were probably a number of reasons for this peculiar situation, John thought he would put his money on a time-displacement event caused by an energy surge in the wormhole.

"You have been here nearly twenty years?" Teyla confirmed. Then she narrowed her eyes as she regarded the drunk Rodney. "Then where is the rest of the team?" she demanded.

Drunk Rodney threw his head back and laughed; nearly falling from the high stool. "Dead, all dead!" he cackled. Finally his fit ended and he seemed to sober for a moment. Unfortunately the barman placed four mugs of beer on the counted and handed one to Ronon as well. With obvious joy drunk Rodney reached for his mug, but John deftly moved it out of his way. Drunk Rodney glared at him. "I have to start talking, right?" he accused John.

"Correct," John merely stated. "Begin with why everyone else is dead," he added for good measure. If this was a time-displacement thing they might have limited time to change events. This was, after all, not the first time something like this has happened in the history of gate travel.

"The Descended killed you," drunk Rodney cryptically remarked. "Time and disease took Ronon and Teyla, although little Melena still comes to visit her godfather every now and then," he added.

At this announcement Ronon and Teyla glanced at one another. Melena was the woman Ronon had lost when the Wraith had attacked Sateda years ago and was obviously Ronon's child. John noticed, though, that drunk Rodney hadn't said anything about the child being Teyla's as well. He wondered how thing were going between his two teammates – romantically. Not that he complained or anything. If ever there was a world where romance and the workplace mixed often, it was their world. The unspoken rule was merely that romance should not interfere with work. After all, he and Elizabeth had somehow managed to become the example everyone followed and from the start both of them had agreed they needed to keep their emotions bottled until after – after whatever.

"Who's the Descended?" Ronon asked the question John should have asked. He scowled to let them know he would have gotten there, eventually.

"They are those who didn't ascend," drunk Rodney said as he pulled a face. "They are evil," he added.


End file.
